MD Program Admissions & Requirements | Icahn School of Medicine

At the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, we want to ensure our application process provides you with the information you need to make an informed decision about your medical education.

The successful completion of several key subjects is required:

General chemistry: one academic year. Please note that applicants who received Advanced Placement (AP) credit in chemistry are required to take advanced science coursework in the corresponding area of study prior to enrolling at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. In addition to general chemistry, applicants must complete the following:
- One semester of organic chemistry
- One semester of biochemistry

Biology: one academic year. It is recommended that students take biology coursework within the five years prior to applying to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Please note that applicants who received AP credit in biology are required to take advanced science coursework in the corresponding area of study prior to enrolling.

Physics: one semester. AP credit may be used to fulfill the physics requirement.
Lab work: one academic year in biology and/or chemistry.
Math: one semester of statistics, with biostatistics preferred.
English: one academic year of English intensive writing courses.

Applicants are encouraged to review our Frequently Asked Questions regarding eligibility. To enroll in our MD Program, applicants must have earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or Canada. Those who received their undergraduate degree abroad must provide a course-by-course evaluation of their transcript by a NACES member organization.

The Icahn School understands that the COVID-19 public health crisis affected different facets of each applicant's portfolio. The MD Admissions Committee evaluates each application holistically and will continue to maintain this rigorous method of review. If your application has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, consider writing a short explanation in your application.

Our MD Program Admissions Committee is committed to an equitable process that considers each applicant’s unique journey to the field of medicine. Pre-requisite courses completed at the community college level or in an online format will be considered on a case-by-case basis. If these required courses are fulfilled with community college level coursework, it is recommended for applicants to complete additional higher-level courses in related subjects at a four-year accredited institution. It is strongly preferred that applicants complete courses taken on-site/in-person. Laboratory sciences requirements should not be taken in an online format.

Additional Considerations

Students may apply to the Icahn School if they lack one or two of the premedical requirements, but completion of these courses is required for enrollment. The following considerations also apply:

The Icahn School does not accept transfer students who have matriculated at another medical school.
Students who take courses at institutions outside of the United States or Canada are encouraged to complete additional coursework in the United States to demonstrate preparation for medical school content.

We also encourage all applicants to complete coursework and engage in experiences which provide exposure to social determinants of health and disparities in health care outcomes. Coursework examples include sociology, public health, political science, global health, bioethics, urban studies, history, and economics.

We encourage you to reach out with any questions you may have.

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Each applicant must submit their application to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS), which opens in May. Applications must be submitted no later than October 1.

Each applicant must also take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). We accept MCAT scores within 5 years of the current application cycle.

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai requires letters of recommendation submitted for each application through AMCAS. A committee letter or packet of letters is preferred. If you do not have a pre-health advisor or committee at your current institution, you must submit three to six letters of recommendation from people who can speak to your passion for a career in medicine, as well as your intellectual journey. These may include research mentors, professional or service supervisors, professors, or clinical preceptors.

All applicants who have a verified American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) application receive a secondary application, and all AMCAS applications, letters of recommendation, and secondary applications are evaluated fully.

Complete applications undergo screening by our MD Admissions Committee members, who assess the following core areas: academics, clinical exposure, community service, research, and extra-curricular activities. We conduct a holistic review of applicants in full compliance with the law, and Icahn Mount Sinai remains committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism.

Our committee also evaluates applicant attributes that align with Icahn Mount Sinai’s mission. These core areas and attributes are modeled on the 15 Core Competencies for Entering Medical Students endorsed by the Association of American Medical College Group on Student Affairs.

Interview invitations are sent to prospective students from August to February, and interviews are conducted from September to February. We interview approximately 700 students each year from a pool of approximately 7,000 applicants for the traditional Medical Education Program pathway.

Applicants who are offered an interview spend a day meeting students and faculty. Each applicant invited for an interview is randomly assigned two 30-minute interviews with members of the MD Admissions Committee. Their application, letters of recommendation, and secondary application are evaluated fully by both interviewers.

Our interviews are semi-structured and traditional in nature. During each session, a holistic assessment of the candidate is conducted based on the following core areas: academics, clinical exposure, community service, research, and other extracurricular activities. Our interviewers also evaluate applicant attributes that align with the School’s mission, and assess communication skills. These core areas, applicant attributes, and communication assessment are modeled on the Core Competencies for Entering Medical Students endorsed by the Association of American Medical Colleges Group on Student Affairs.

Our MD Admissions Committee meets on a weekly basis during the admissions cycle, and each interviewed candidate is presented to the committee by the two assigned interviewers. The MD Admissions Committee makes final admissions decisions. Acceptance offers are communicated to applicants starting in January and waitlist notifications are sent out in March.

Icahn Mount Sinai is looking for applicants who are poised to be the next generation of expert clinicians, physician advocates, physician-scientists, and medical educators. We seek those who demonstrate academic excellence, a passion for clinical medicine, and a commitment to patient communities through advocacy and scholarly endeavors.

As a national leader in the holistic review of candidates, we recognize diversity in all realms as a driver for excellence in medicine and research.

We expect accepted applicants to follow the Association of American Medical Colleges Application and Acceptance Protocols and our Acceptance Decision Protocols.

Our MD Program prepares students to be skilled physicians, in accordance with the Technical Standards as outlined by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the U.S. accrediting agency for medical schools.